By Luis Hernandez, SJB Brave News

(Bellflower, CA) – Last school year, St. John Bosco High School introduced a new online learning service called SJB Global, which allows students to take multiple online classes while still having the option to be on campus.

This was only possible due to the school President, Dr. Brian Wickstrom, who has had the idea for many years, but it finally came into fruition during Summer school in 2022. Dr. Wickstrom hoped that online education could be utilized along with traditional classes to improve options and flexibility for students. 

The program was relatively small in the beginning, but with the help of the Director of SJB Global, Mrs. Diane Gihring, the program has seen growth in every aspect. 

“We have grown our online offerings, the number of teachers we have and refined our practices and policies to fit the culture here at Bosco,” said Mrs. Gihring

There are now over 500 students involved in one or more online courses. Bosco offers 71 different online courses, including honors and AP courses in all major subject areas. The program also employs an astounding 60 teachers from all over the country ready to support their students remotely. 

The Brave’s new access to all these teachers means they can take courses that are not offered on campus. There are a handful of AP courses that are only available online, and many students find themselves attracted to those opportunities.

“I was very interested in a college-level economics course, but there was none here at Bosco. Once I heard that SJB Global had two, it was an easy choice and such a relief,” said Senior Daniel Martinez

Students love getting ahead by taking classes in the Summer; the issue is that many only take one or two. Transportation becomes a hassle for parents, and scheduling is difficult for teachers. That is a thing of the past, as students could learn from home and teachers can grade from home.

Mrs. Sandra Diaz has been involved in the Bosco community for many years now. Her husband, Mr. Paul Diaz, is the Defensive Line Coach for the varsity football team and our Director of Facilities. She works as a social worker, but she has always been interested in teaching the youth. She now has that opportunity due to SJB Global.

“I have attended many Bosco events over the years and have grown to feel part of the Bosco community. When the opportunity to teach came my way, I was excited and took the opportunity,” Mrs. Diaz said. “ I am able to do what I love with flexibility, which allows me time to still fulfill my obligations to my family and career.”

The classes are completely asynchronous and require the students to have accountability. Students are responsible for submitting assignments and reaching out for assistance if needed.

This approach to teaching not only benefits students academically but teaches them the importance of scheduling and prioritizing objectives that need to be completed. Ms. Gina Sterling, the Academic Advisor for SJB Global, believes that the addition of online classes is a big leap forward in educating students.

“While nothing can replace the social aspects of in-person schooling, I think a hybrid of online and in-person classes offers great learning potential while retaining a sense of community,” she said.

The ability to be able to complete your assignments while not present on campus has allowed students who have hectic schedules to not have to sacrifice their grades to do what they love. 

A perfect example of this is student-athlete Grigor Cholakyan, who is committed to wrestling at Stanford University. Grigor lives far from campus and is constantly competing in tournaments around the country. So without his accessibility to online courses, he would have to choose between school or wrestling. He believes that SJB Global makes his life easier due to the flexibility and the ability to work at his own pace.

“SJB Global has helped me by making my schedule more convenient, especially since I have to commute an hour a day to Bosco,” Grigor said.

Grigor is not the only student who lives far from Bosco, though.

Haoran Han, a foreign exchange student from China, came to the United States and was looking for a school to further his education. He instantly fell in love with Bosco and the fact that he can take online courses and work according to his schedule. He appreciates that in his classes he has the opportunity to listen to others and hear their opinions.

“I suddenly fell in love with [online courses] and doing written and video discussion boards as every student has the opportunity to share their voices,” Haoran said.

SJB Global is here to stay and teachers and staff are going to constantly try to improve the program to ensure all students have the best chance to receive a great education, even if they are not on campus.